Barcelona Things to Do

The church El Carmen is the church I liked most in Barcelona. I liked it so much - and immediately - that not only Imistook it for the cathedral, but I also persuaded my travel companions that it was. Everyone around us who heard me laughted, including a school group on a school trip. Stupid tourists....

Another very important building in Barcelona is the Casa Fuerte. It's a national historic monument that, originally (in 1811), served as a convent, then the war of independence started and Simon Bolivar and his followers took it and used it defensively. Six years laer, in 1817 the house walls collapsed and Bolivar had to flee. It's now possible to...

Barcelona Transportation

One of the two ways to get to Isla La Tortuga is by private plane... which I don't own. The other is by yacht, whichI don't own either, on top it takes about 4 hours to get there and costs a fortune. A trusted friend recommended a the aerotaxi of a charming Frenchman based in Puerto La Cruz: Jean-Luc Tersin. He flew us in his wonderful 6-seater...

Ok, thousand islands to visit is an exaggeration - but offshore there are really several islands - rocky, not flat - to visit. The most impressive belong to two group of islands. the Islas himanas and the Islas Borrachas. To visit them you'll need a boat (lancha). From some piers you can rent a "trip" to one of the islands - or else you can join a...

Barcelona Shopping

Plaza Mayor shopping centre is a modern and expensive Puerto La Cruz shopping centre. It's very colourful and its architecture wants to remind you of some old colonial buildings. The shopping centre, located in theposh yachts-filled El Morro neighbourhood, has everything you'lll ever desire at very expensive prices. Still, it's worth a visit if you're looking for an internet cafe with decent speed - or a scanner. There's also a real travel agent that can conform your homebound flight

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Barcelona Warnings and Dangers

The first time I saw a real iguana was here in Venezuela.. and more precisely on Playa El Faro on one of the Islas Chimanas. How beautiful, I though - and shot several pictures of them. And in the meantime I was thinking. why does no one feed them? Someone explained to me only days later: if they bite you, they can chop a finger off you... and well, if they hit yo with their tail, they will cut you quite deeply - and you'll end up needing many nasty stiches. So beware of the iguanas. they are cute - but they can hurt.

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Barcelona Off The Beaten Path

Isla La Tortuga is a deserted heaven halfway between Isla Margarita and Puerto La Cruz. It's 1 big island (the second biggest in Venezuela) and 3 smaller ones. The islands are uninhabited, with the exception of a handful of fishermen during the lobster season. Then you have the clear transparent waters... from turquoise to light green to white. And...

Playa Colorada is a wonderful beach about 20 minutes drive from Puerto La Cruz. Because it's not located on an island, it's really easy to get there and - at weekends - it gets unbearably crowded. it's ok during the week, though... not many people, some stray dogs.. and those amazingly tall palm trees and orange-coloured sand. There are also some...

Mochima is the name of a National Park as well as the name of a location about 30 minutes from Puerto La Cruz. It's a tiny village with a couple of posadas and a pier (embarcadero) where you can rent a "passage out to one of the islands' beaches. The most famous ones, from Mochima, are called Islas de Plata. they are also the nearest to the shore....

Barcelona Favorites

Favorite thing:
Barcelona.. is not really only Barcelona.... the city - practically speaking - sort of embeds two other cities: Puerto La Cruz and Lecherias. They are not the safest cities in Venezuela (stay in at night and listen to the gunshots - then read on the papers the next day how many people were killed!), nor the nicest - but their location is great: if you are a sun lover - from there you can visit wonderful beaches

Fondest memory:
We stayed in Lecherias - since we have friends who own a house there... then we went shopping in Puerto la Cruz, there's just more choice and variety... and for sights we went to Barcelona, which has a quite interesting casco colonial... And for beaches? Well, they ar all around!

Experience Barcelona

Top 2 Barcelona Writers

How was I so lucky to get a training assignment in Venezuela!?! I'm not sure, but I must say I got a good one there.
I lived in Barcelona, or El Moro more exactly, and commuted to Jose everyday. That...